240 KANSAS UNIVERSITY QUARTERLY. 



and alchemy, to unfortunate human beings. Or medicine belongs to 

 the geometrical and astronomical department of mathematics, where 

 Gower discusses it; a conclusion according with that based upon 

 Chaucer's description of the physician (Canterbury Tales, prologue, 

 411 ff.)-* 



The eienu>iit»i. It appears that Langland had no clear idea of any 

 system of knowledge. At least he utterly refused to be bound down 

 by any received system upon any subject, whether because his 

 knowledge of received systems was inexact, or because he cared more 

 for the exactness of his metre and alliteration than for all the systems 

 under the sun. For example, according to Gower and the " Secre- 

 tum Secretorum," the four elements of things created are earth, air, 

 water, and fire, with a fifth element, ori>is — the shell which surrounds 

 all the others. Langland in one place gives them as earth, air, wind, 

 and water (C, XI., 129), where he may be using air for ether, or the 

 heavenly fire (Skeat, Notes, p. 138), and is simply confused by 

 different authorities. In another passage he deliberately drops out 

 earth, and for a special purpose substitutes 7c//, making the list wit, 

 water, wind, and fire (C, X., 56). 



Aiciieinv aiMi "^^ correspond to (iower's grave discussion of 



K<Mi«M'ni Nri- alchemy, and Chaucer's satirical one (Canon's Yeo- 

 man's Tale), Langland has a brief and general passage 

 whose subject is the sciences in general, and alchemy among the rest. 

 (B, X., 168 ff. ). Dame Study in naming her accomplishments, states 

 that she has taught logic and many other laws, trained IMato and 

 Aristotle, educated children in grammar, and contrived tools for all 

 kinds of crafts. Having thus placed the handicrafts on the roll of 

 sciences, the dame turns her attention to more abstract subjects, and 

 finds of them only Theology really worthy. Yet Theology has puzzled 

 her ten score times; the more she mused thereon, the mistier it seemed, 

 and the deeper she divined, the darker it became. In fact, she con- 

 cludes, it is no science at all, but a soothfast belief, a matter of faith. 

 Love is its cardinal doctrine, and there is no science under the sun so 

 sovereign for the soul. Then, in comparison with Theology, the 

 other sciences are briefly and finally disposed of as follows: — 



}3iit astronomj- is an liard thirifr, and evil for to know, 

 Geometry and jreomaticy are guileful of speech; 

 Whoso thinketh to work with those two tiiriveth full late, 

 For sorcery is the sovereign book that to the science belongetb. 

 Yet there are contrivances in caskets of many men's making 

 Experiments of alchemy the people to deceive— 



*See also Sauoders" Caaucer's Cant. Tales, pp. 111-125. 



